Cheat-prevention electronic card game system

ABSTRACT

A cheat-prevention electronic card game system includes a host adapted for generating multiple virtual playing cards, slave units respectively connected to the host and corresponding one respective player and adapted for receiving the virtual playing cards and displaying the virtual playing cards for viewing by the respective players, a mechanical arm connected to the host and controllable by to deal face-up real playing cards to the players, and a security device connected to the host and adapted for receiving the virtual playing cards and printing a confidential sheet before start of the game. The confidential sheet carries the data of the virtual playing cards so that the players can pick up the confidential sheet and check the data after the end of the game. By means of arranging the jobs of the slave units and the mechanical arm properly, the system saves much the card dealing time without loosing the sense like being on the spot and the sense of game reality. The use of the sale units with the security device assures game fairness.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electronic game technology and more particularly, to a cheat-prevention electronic card game system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Regular electronic game machines (such as card game machine) use an automatic device to substitute for manual control, assuring game fairness, saving the labor cost and preventing human error. For example, a mechanical arm is controlled by a host to perform every procedure from card-drawing till card-receiving. Because the whole game process simulates the real game, these electronic game machines are highly appreciated by players.

However, for the sake of equality, fairness and openness, the mechanical arm must turn the face of every playing card upwards in front of the respective player for enabling the respective player to check the points after the game reached a certain stage. However, one player may see the face of an opponent's playing card unintentionally or accidentally, loosing game fairness. Further, the action of the aforesaid mechanical arm cannot be as quick as the action of a human being. Therefore, it takes a long time to finish one game cycle. Due to the aforesaid reasons, some games cannot be fully performed by an automatic machine instead of human beings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a cheat-prevention electronic card game system, which saves much the card dealing time and assures game fairness.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, cheat-prevention electronic card game system comprises a host adapted for generating multiple virtual playing cards, slave units respectively connected to the host and corresponding one respective player and adapted for receiving the virtual playing cards and displaying the virtual playing cards for viewing by the respective players, a mechanical arm connected to the host and controllable by to deal face-up real playing cards to the players, and a security device connected to the host and adapted for receiving the virtual playing cards and printing a confidential sheet before start of the game. The confidential sheet carries the data of the virtual playing cards so that the players can pick up the confidential sheet and check the data after the end of the game. By means of arranging the jobs of the slave units and the mechanical arm properly, the system saves much the card dealing time without loosing the sense like being on the spot and the sense of game reality. The use of the sale units with the security device assures game fairness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique elevation of a cheat-prevention electronic card game system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of the cheat-prevention electronic card game system in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cheat-prevention electronic card game system 100 in accordance with the present invention is shown installed in a machine base 200. The machine base 200 has a table top 210. According to the present preferred embodiment, the cheat-prevention electronic card game system 100 comprises a host 10, a plurality of slave units 20, a mechanical arm 30 and a security device 40. The host 10 is electrically connected with the slave units 20 for two-way communication. The mechanical arm 30 and the security device 40 are respectively kept in communication with the host 10 for signal transmission and auto control. The communication technology employed for communication between the host 10, the slave units 20, the mechanical arm 30 and the security device 40 are of the known art, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.

The host 10 comprises a random number generator 11 and a game program 12. Each slave unit 20 corresponds to one respective player, having an operation unit 21 and a display unit 22. The random number generator 11 of the host 10 is adapted for generating multiple virtual playing cards A by random and giving a respective check code Al to each virtual playing card A. The game program 12 is adapted to transmit the generated virtual playing cards A to the slave units 20 subject to a predetermined method. The slave units 20 receive and process the signals of the virtual playing cards A transmitted by the game program 12, and then display the faces of the virtual playing cards A on the respective display units 22 to simulate the opening of real playing cards for viewing by the respective players. Every player can operate the operation unit 21 of the respective slave unit 20 to input instructions. Every inputted instruction is processed by the respective slave unit 20 and then transmitted by the respective slave unit 20 to the host 10 for interaction.

The mechanical arm 30 is mounted on the table top 210 of the machine base 200. The table top 210 has a card case 200 and a recognition device (for example, CCD) 230 mounted thereon. The card case 200 holds a set of real playing cards B. The recognition device 230 can be, for example, a CCD (charge-coupled device) electrically connected to the host 10. The mechanical arm 30 is controllable by the host 10 to perform different actions, including the action of picking up playing cards, the action of carrying playing cards to the recognition device 230 for image recognition, and the action of carrying playing cards to the players and opening the playing cards (turning the faces of the playing cards upwards).

It is to be understood that the aforesaid virtual playing cards A and real playing cards B are all a part of the game but not corresponding to each other. For instance, virtual playing cards A are the cards respectively held by the players, and the real playing cards B are the cards commonly held by the players.

The security device 40 comprises a transparent housing 41 and a printer 42 mounted inside the transparent housing 41. The security device 40 can receive the signals of the virtual playing cards A from the host 10, and then control the printer 42 to print the data of the virtual playing cards A on a confidential sheet 43 before start of the game. Through the transparent housing 41, every play can see the printing action of the printer 42 in printing the data of the virtual playing cards A on the confidential sheet 43 fairly. Further, the confidential sheet 43 is a sheet of paper carrying the data of the virtual playing cards A in an encrypted manner (like a sheet of paper carrying an encrypted code for credit card). Thus, the players cannot know the data contained in the confidential sheet 43. According to the present preferred embodiment, the data (pattern and points) of the virtual playing cards A on the confidential sheet 43 is located on the location indicated by the check code A1. Thus, when the game is over, every player can pick up the confidential sheet 43 from the security device 40 for checking, avoiding cheating.

As stated above, the cheat-prevention electronic card game system outputs face-down playing cards (the playing cards not to be opened to the other players, i.e., the virtual playing cards A) to the slave units 20) and deals face-up playing cards (the cards to be opened to every player, i.e., the real playing cards B) by means of the mechanical arm 30 one by one, preventing the players from viewing the faces of the playing cards of the opponents unintentionally or accidentally. Further, the data of the virtual playing cards A is printed out and kept strictly confidential before start of the game. Therefore, the cheat-prevention electronic card game system assures game fairness. Further, because only the real playing cards B are to be dealt through the mechanical arm 30, the invention saves much the card dealing time without loosing the sense like being on the spot and the sense of game reality. This effect will be more prominent when the number of the real playing cards B is smaller than the number of the virtual playing cards A during the game.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

1. A cheat-prevention electronic card game system, comprising: a host adapted for generating multiple virtual playing cards; a plurality of slave units respectively connected to said host and corresponding one respective player and adapted for receiving said virtual playing cards and displaying said virtual playing cards for viewing by the respective players; a mechanical arm connected to said host and controllable by said host to deal a plurality of real playing cards to be opened to every player; and a security device connected to said host and adapted for receiving said virtual playing cards and printing a confidential sheet before start of the game, said confidential sheet carrying the data of said virtual playing card for enabling the players to check the data after the end of the game.
 2. The cheat-prevention electronic card game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said security device comprises a transparent housing; said confidential sheet is a sheet of paper carrying the data of said virtual playing card in an encrypted condition.
 3. The cheat-prevention electronic card game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said host comprises a random number generator adapted for generating said virtual playing cards by random.
 4. The cheat-prevention electronic card game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of said real playing cards is smaller than the number of said virtual playing cards.
 5. The cheat-prevention electronic card game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said virtual playing card has a respective check code; the data of each said virtual playing card in said confidential sheet is located on the location indicated by the respective check code. 